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British & Scottish Politics; EU; Brexit

The Brexit process not only itself poses challenges, such as how to ensure EU law is incorporated into the British statute book, and how best to carry out the negotiations with the EU itself, but the potential implications of different kinds of possible outcome for different parts of the UK are many and varied.

The Scottish Government's plan for a continuing trade relationship with the EU overlooks an important issue, says Kirsty Hughes. Were Scotland to join EFTA as the proposal suggests, it could not also be a member of the EU Customs Union.

The Scottish Government paper ‘Scotland’s Place in Europe’ published in December last year sets out two major alternatives for what it would find acceptable for Scotland in the context of the UK’s Brexit talks. Both of these alternatives face serious challenges on the trade side.

In response to the apparent surge in support for Corsican nationalists, President Macron has made it clear that Corsica will not be allowed to distinguish itself further from the rest of France. However, says Dr Alexendra Remond, support for autonomy may be symptomatic more of disenchantment with the status quo than of growing Corsican nationalism.

The Irish border has proved to be one of the most intractable aspects of Brexit, says Michael Keating, and the proposals put forward by the UK Government show little signs of being endorsed by Dublin or, as a result, Brussels.